Sponge brush

ABSTRACT

A sponge brush is made of a cylinder of open cell resilient synthetic resin foam, for example, foamed polyurethane and a cylindrical stick of hardwood having a planar end face and of a diameter about one half the diameter of the open cell foamed resilient resin cylinder. A known type contact cement secures the end of the stick to the sponge. The remaining area of the sponge end surface is secured by the contact cement to the cylindrical surface of the stick immediately adjacent to its planar end face by gathering the upper part of the sponge cylinder inward.

nited States Patent [191 Zacha et a1.

[ Jan. 15, 1974 1 SPONGE BRUSH 22 Filed: June 15, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 263,005

[52] US. Cl 15/244 R [51] Int. Cl A471 13/16, B44d 3/28 [58] Field of Search 15/l04.94, 114, 118,

15/209 R, 210 R, 209 AH, 211, 213, 244 R,

244 A, 244 CH; 128/269; 401/130 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 109,885 6/1928 Austria 15/244 R 302,476 l/l955 Switzerland 15/209 R Primary ExaminerDaniel Blum Attorney-Wells, St. John& Roberts 57 ABSTRACT A sponge brush is made of a cylinder of open cell resilient synthetic resin foam, for example, foamed polyurethane and a cylindrical stick of hardwood having a planar end face and of a diameter about one half the diameter of the open cell foamed resilient resin cylin-' cler. A known type contact cement secures the end of the stick to the sponge. The remaining area of the sponge end surface is secured by the contact cement to the cylindrical surface of the stick immediately adjacent to its planar end face by gathering the upper part of the sponge cylinder inward.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures SPONGE BRUSH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of sponge brushes or spreaders by which paints or finishing colors are applied to various objects, for example, ceramic articles in decorative patterns. The use of sponge materials for applying liquid or paste materials to objects has been known for many years. The following U. S. patent give examples of different embodiments of such sponge brushes:

Rock No. 2,239,054

Bartholomew No. 982,232

Huston No. 2,234,558

.Qetxell No- .2 30 .1 3 1 Worthington No. 2,945,250

Weil No. 2,231,234

Bender No. 3,078,856 In our device we provide certain relations between a sponge body and its operating handle which enhances the utility of open cell sponge material in application of decorative coating to objects such as stippling, swirl patterns of single or blended color, and multilayer applications of various colors.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION It is the purpose of this invention to provide a sponge brush and handle having an originallycylindrical flatended body of open cell, resilient, foamed synthetic resin sponge and a handpiece having a cylindrical end portion with a planar end face, the diameter of which is about one-half the diameter of the sponge cylinder, the end face of the piece being impressed into the center of one end of the sponge cylinder and cemented thereto and the surrounding part of the impressed end face of the sponge cylinder being gathered around the adjacent end portion and cemented thereto, so that, the face end of the sponge is only slightly distorted from its original flat condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show side views of sponge brushes of three different sizes illustrating the size relation of sponge cylinder to handpiece;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the sponge and handpiece as they appear after the flat end face of the handpiece has been impressed into the sponge and secured but before the sponge has been gathered against the adjacent end portion of the handpiece and cemented there; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the sponge cylinder unmounted.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As illustrated in the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a handpiece la, lb, or 1c is combined with a deformed cylinder of sponge material 2a, 2b, or 20. We have found that, in the construction of this sponge brush, to get the finished product it is necessary to use a sponge cylinder that is twice the diameter of the sponge receiving end of the handpiece. The cylinder 2 is twice the diameter of the handpiece 1 in FIG. 5. This relationship is maintained in all the sizes of sponge brushes we make. The handpieces la, lb and 1c are all the same length, about five inches, so the front finger of the op erator can rest on the free end of the handpiece while the handpiece is held between the thumb and the other fingers of the hand. The ends of the cylinder 2 are in parallel planes and are about three-fourths to one inch apart. For smaller cylinders of five-eighth inch diameter, a length of three-fourths inch is adequate. For larger diameter cylinders of one inch to one and threefourths inches diameter, a length of one inch is adequate for the cylinders. The handpieces I have planar ends 3 perpendicular to the axis of the handpieces. The end portion 4 of the handpiece adjacent to the planar end 3 is cylindrical and preferably this cylindrical shape is maintained throughout the length of the handpiece 1 to facilitate spinning of the handpiece between the thumb and fingers of the hand.

The handpieces 1 preferably are of hardwood with a polished surface with the top or free end rounded as shown. Contact cement of a commercial type is applied to the end 3 of the handpiece 1 and to the cylindrical surface adjacent to the end 3. The handpiece end 3 is impressed into the central portion of the one end 5 of the sponge cylinder 2, while the other end 6 of the sponge cylinder 2 rests upon a flat surface, to a depth equal to the distance from the circular edge of the cylinder 2 to the cylindrical surface of the handpiece 1. Then the sponge cylinder is gathered against the cement covered adjacent surface of the handpiece to stick the whole end 5 of the sponge cylinder to the handpiece. This assembly operation causes very little distortion of the end face 6 of the sponge cylinder 2.

We have found that open cell foamed polyurethane is a very satisfactory sponge cylinder to use. It is essential that the foaming provide an open cell resilient body so that the paint or other liquid coloring penetrates into the cylinder 2 readily to supply enough in one dip into a pan of coloring for considerable surface coverage. The end face 6 can be lightly pressed upon a surface for stippling. It can also be swirled while engaging the surface to produce swirl patterns. For heavy, light and tapering lines, the peripheral edge of the end face 6 can be used. The brush is also used for two color blends and outlines by first dipping the whole end face 6 into one color paint then removing excess paint from the edge of the end face 6 and wetting this edge with another color. When so treated with paint, spinning of the end face upon a surface produces a circular design of two colors.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of our invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

We claim:

1. A sponge brush and handle assembly adapted for decorative painting of objects comprising:

a short cylindrical sponge body of open cell, resilient foamed synthetic resin having flat circular end faces;

a handpiece having a cylindrical end portion of a di ameter approximately one-half the diameter of the sponge body and which portion has a circular planar end face;

the planar end face of the end portion being cemented to the central portion of one end face of the. sponge body and impressed into said one end face a distance substantially equal to the distance from the edge of said planar end face to the edge of said one end face;

the remainder of said one end face of the sponge body being gathered around and cemented to the cylindrical end portion of the handpiece. 

1. A sponge brush and handle assembly adapted for decorative painting of objects comprising: a short cylindrical sponge body of open cell, resilient foamed synthetic resin having flat circular end faces; a handpiece having a cylindrical end portion of a diameter approximately one-half the diameter of the sponge body and which portion has a circular planar end face; the planar end face of the end portion being cemented to the central portion of one end face of the sponge body and impressed into said one end face a distance substantially equal to the distance from the edge of said planar end face to the edge of said one end face; the remainder of said one end face of the sponge body being gathered around and cemented to the cylindrical end portion of the handpiece. 